Oman Electricity Transmission Company OETC in partnership with GCC CIGRE will host CIGRE – Muscat International Symposium from 6-8 March 2023 at the Oman Convention & Exhibition Center in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.

The three-day event will be held under the patronage of the Ministry of Energy & Minerals and will bring together key industry leaders to discuss developments, challenges, and solutions to ease power systems transition to be more resilient, innovative, and sustainable.

The energy sector has long been seen as a key source of emissions globally, and so with the rising demand for power, the sector transition plans are moving fast to cope with the global efforts towards achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 has gained significant momentum.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the pathway to achieving this requires a transformation of how energy will be produced, transported, and used around the world. In addition, dependency on critical minerals required to produce clean energy solutions and infrastructure could also further hinder in the transition.

Keeping in line with this, the Muscat International Symposium will hold 12 impactful sessions and drive key discussions around various themes such as innovation in future power grids in energy storage, electric vehicles and digitization, delivering an enhanced system with increased utilization of renewable energy and development of HVDC grids and multi-terminal HVDC.

Commenting on the event, Eng. Thani Bin Mohammed Al-Khusaibi, GCC CIGRE Board Chairman said: “Oman’s Vision 2040 places a strong emphasis on energy diversification and its commitment to carbon neutrality and we at GCC CIGRE are proud to be one of the organizations playing a key role in escalating work on energy transition. Through the Muscat International Symposium, our focus is to create a platform to bring together experts and decision-makers and contribute to important conversations about the transition to a net zero economy and how we can mitigate the challenges it will bring on the power systems infrastructure.” CIGRE, the International Council on Large Electric Systems is an international non-profit association with more than 15,000 members comprising of academia, engineers, CEOs, and other key experts from over 100 countries who join forces to help improve existing electric systems and resources. GCC CIGRE is an affiliate of the International Council and encourages and develops scientific research and studies in the field of Electricity Systems.

Speaking on their participation at the event, CEO of Oman Electricity Transmission Company – Eng. Saleh bin Nasser Al-Rumhi said: “Oman Electricity Transmission Company, Member of Nama Group has been actively involved in undertaking vital projects to enhance the stability and reliability of electrical networks across the Sultanate. As an economy looking to invest in building sustainable power systems, it is essential that initiatives such as the Muscat International Symposium are used to foster essential dialogue and collaborations within the power industry. We are proud to be part of this Symposium which will highlight the next steps towards a green economy in Oman”.

He also stated: “The Symposium aims to attract more than 500 delegates during its three-day run, with 4 technical tutorials planned to provide unique networking and learning opportunities on a variety of topics related to innovative and sustainable power systems. The Symposium will also include an exhibition featuring leading local and international organizations in the power and energy sector who will showcase their latest technologies and solutions. Visitors and delegates will have a chance to have one-on-one conversations with suppliers and benefit from numerous networking opportunities.”

It is worth mentioning that, Oman Electricity Transmission Company  “OETC” is the only company responsible for the transmission and control of electricity in the northern Sultanate’s network and also in the Governorate of Dhofar, where electricity is transferred from production stations to distributed load centers in all governorates of the Sultanate, and the transmission network operates at a voltage of 132 kV and above, to cover most of the governorates of the Sultanate, whether in the north or in the south.

OETC also manages the interconnection lines between the Sultanate and the Gulf interconnection network with a voltage of 220 kV.